Clutch



Feb. 14, 192s. 1,659,525

J. F. GAYLORD CLUTCH Filed June 26, 1926 2 sheets-sneer 1 V 4 lg. 59 f" 55 /0 ifnl;

31a/vento@ www l @ttor @nq J. F. GAY LORD CLUTCH Filed June 26. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 glu/vento@ Jomaylard Patented Feb. 14, 17928. y

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UL I Y, Application mea :une as, im. serial 1ro. 11am.

My invention relates to clutches for variable s eed transmissions for automobiles or the li e and .particularl to that type of ltransmission in which t e gears are constantly engaged. n 4 v l It is an object of the invention to provide a device of this character which is more simle and durable in construction and efficient 1n operation and in which the operation of changing ears maybe accomplished with the least e ort nomatter whetherl the shiftin operation is to a lower or higher gear.

l accom lish the foregoing obJects by providing a isk splined to a driven shaft with means for slidingthe same along the shaft into frictional engagement with the surface of a gear to which the shaft is to be clutched,

f such frictional contact'between the disk and the face of the gear causing them to rotate at substantially the same speed to permit the clutching action to be easily accomplished.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a art hereof and on which similar reference c aracters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section showing the application of my invention,

Figure 2, avertical section through the casing with the parts in elevation,

Figure 3, a section online {3f-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4, an end elevation of one of the gears, and 5 Figure 5, a detail perspective.

In the drawin s reference .character 10 indicates a transmission housing in which are mounted a drivin shaft 11 and a driven shaft 12, said sha 11 being provided with a recess 13 in its end into which the reduced end 14 of the shaft 12 extends. A bearing sleeve 15 is preferably provided about the reduced end 14 in the recess 13. Between the bottom of the socket and the reduced end is provided a bearing element or ball 16. A

. gear 17 is provided on the extremity of the riving shaft within the housing 10 said gear either being formed integral with said shaft or fixed thereon for positive rotation therewith. The driven kshaft12 is provided adjacentits end with slots lextending longitudinally of the saine and in which are disposed a plurality of diametrically opposed pins 19. Pins 20 are also disposed vin di-- ametrically opposed relation between the pins 19, each of the pins 19 havin its ends tapered to a point and having a epression or slot 21 adjacent its center in which is dis- Egsed .an annular clutch collar 22 adapted to shifted by a clutch fork 23 for operating the clutch or engaging ins tomove them simultaneously in either irection in the slots 1n which they are mounted. The gear 17 on the end of the driving shaft extends a slight distance over the end of the driven shaft and said gear is rovided with recesses for the reception of t e ends of the clutch pins 19. The surface of the gear between said recesses is preferably also tapered so that thelclutch pins may readil enter the recesses in the gear and clutch t e shaft 12, having the slots in which the clutch pins are disposed, to the gear 17 on the driving shaft 11 and cause them to rotate simultaneously and therefore effect a direct drive between the drivin and the driven shafts.

An aux iary or stub shaft 24 is disposed in .the `housing 10 in parallel relation to th\e` driving and driven shafts and has fixed thereon a gear 25 which is constantl in mesh with the gear 17 fixed on the'drivmg shaft and by means of which the auxiliary or stub shaft will be constantly driven from the driving shaft. vIn order to produce an indirect drive or a drive by means of which the ratio between the driving and driven shafts is varied I provide a l'oose ear 26, of substan larger in size than the gear 26, is sli ably mounted on said shaft and is prevented from rotation by means of splines 28, said gear being provided with a collar 27 for enga ement by an operating fork 41. A smal er gear member 29 having spaced pairs of gear teeth of diierent sizes is xed on said stub shaft, the larger of said airs of gear teeth 30 being in mesh with the gear 26 loosely mounted on the driven shaft and adapted to drive said driven shaft through the gear 26 when the clutch collar 22 is moved to the left to clutch said ear to the shaft upon which it is mounted. The smaller set of teeth 31 on said gear member is adapted to be engaged by the gear 27 for producing a .different relative speed between the shafts. An additional gear 32 of slightl smaller size than the gear 31 is mounted1 on said shaft and an intermediate gear 33 of a still smaller size is mounted in en agement with said last-mentioned gear,'sai intermediate gear being ada ted to be engaged by the gear 27 for pro ucmg reverse movement of the driven shaft 12.

-When the gear 17 mounted on the driving shaft 11 is rotating at a different relative speed from the driven shaft 12 in order to cause them to rotate in unison so that the clutch pins may enter the recesses in the gear 17 to lock them together for direct drlve I provide a friction disk 34 and mount the same upon the reduced ends of the pins 2.0 in the slots'18 in the driven shaft so that 1t may be moved into frictional contact with the gear 17 andthe said gear 17 1s preferably provided with a collar 17 to provide a larger surface against which the disk ma contact. In order to cause the drivensha t 12 and the gear 26 mounted upon the sameto rotate in unison I provide a separate larger disk 35 and mount the same upon the oppositeends of the pins -20 so that it may be moved into engagement with the gear 26. I provide means for moving the friction disks into engagement with their respective gears comprising a roller 36 mounted upon a crank pin 37 carried eccentrically by a stub shaft 38 to the outer end of which is secured by means of a pin 39 an operating arm 40 adapted to be rocked or oscillated for moving the roller and friction disks into engagement with either of the gears 17 or 26. Means (not shown) is associated with the operating arm forming it in either direction so that it will engage the respective friction disks. Said means may be manually o erable or may be operable by a portion of t e mechanism of the transmission.

In the operation of the device the clutching operation may be performed and if the proper speed relation between the respective parts is present such operation will be practically noiseless. If, however, the proper speed relation is not present, as will be the case upon changing from a higher to a lower gear ratio, or when coasting in neutralI it becomes desirable to change to higher intermediate gears, it would be practically impossible tochange the ratio of the gears without considerable noise or damage unless the parte were caused to operate at substantially the same rotative speeds. With my device the associated arts are caused to rotate at the same rotative speeds by, swinging the roller into engagement with the proper disk which is rotating with the shaft and when said disk engages its respective gear which is rotating independently of the shaft the ear will be caused to rotate at the same spee as the disk and shaft and the clutching operation ma be easily and noiselessly accomplished. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A clutch adapted for use in variable speed transmissions for automobiles comprising a rotatable shaft having a plurality of longitudinally arranged slots therein, a transmis-v `engagement with said transmission element,

means for pressing the friction clutch plate against the transmission element to cause the shaft and transmission element to rotate in unison to facilitate the clutching operation.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Washington, District of Columbia, this 24th day of June, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

JOHN F. GAY'LORD. 

